Name as it appears on the ballot: Pete DiLauro

Full legal name, if different: Peter DiLauro

Campaign website: Under Construction

Occupation & employer: Retired New York City Police Officer

Email: petedilauro@embarqmail.com

1. What do you see as the most important issues facing North Carolina and the nation? If elected, what are your top three priorities in addressing those issues?

The economy and putting people back to work. 1. A fair flat tax where everyone pays the same tax rate. When Buffett says, “tax me more,” it’s a slap in the face to all Americans who pay taxes. He wants to be taxed more so he can write off more but he doesn’t want to pay the same tax rate that “We the People” pay. 2. Balance the budget and stop spending money we don’t have. 3. Putting people to work to update our infrastructure. My mother was building airplanes while my father served in the army in Europe during WWII.

2. What issue or issues made you want to run for this office?

The fact that most of our representatives are all wealthy millionaires that are out of touch with and don’t represent “We the People”. Every new law and tax they put on “We the People” is just another item tightening the knot on the noose around our neck. This process is slowly killing Democracy as we know it. We need a more diverse selection of our representatives other than lawyers and the rich.

3. What in your record as a public official or other experience demonstrates your ability to be effective in the U.S. House? This might include career or community service; be specific about its relevance to this office.

The “experience” from the powers that be is slowly killing this country. I’ve been a victim of the system like most Americans have. I pay taxes and watch them get squandered away by those “elite” “experienced” representatives in Washington. That being said, I have no more experience then our forefathers had when they started this great country. I shouldn’t need any experience other than being an American citizen as per the Constitution. However, I do bring 50 plus years of life experiences along with the education and Common Sense needed to represent all of the people. Some experiences include 4 years in the Marine Corps where when called upon I volunteered to go to Vietnam. I served as a New York City Police Officer until I was injured in an auto accident. I put myself through school and raised 7 children very successfully. I’ve owned a restaurant, gas station and computer consulting firm.

4. As you’ve campaigned in NC-2, what are you hearing from voters? What’s foremost on their minds?

I’ve only campaigned for Congress in NC District 1. Most of the people I’ve addressed seemed to be very impressed with my fair flat tax proposal that would charge everyone at the same tax rate. If we are all created equally, then we should all be taxed equally. This should extend to all corporations as well. It’s the only thing that will stimulate the economy and bring back the American Dream. The rich have become super rich, the middle class is shrinking and no one is doing anything to get the poor out of poverty.

5. Identify a principled stand you might be willing to take if elected that you suspect might cost you some popularity points with voters.

Because their services won’t be needed any more, my Flat Tax will certainly be rejected by lawyers, accountants and employees of the IRS. I’m sure they will lobby heavily against it.

6. If these issues haven’t been addressed above, would you please comment on:

a. What do you see as the primary sources of our current economic problems? What measures should Congress use to address them?

The spending of money that we don’t have. The solution is to come up with a balanced budget based on what we need to run the Federal government, pay for all its wars and pay off its deficit. This is just an “estimate” but with corporations paying “maybe” a flat 20-25% tax rate and individuals paying “maybe” 15-20% flat tax rate. Limit social programs to 10% of the Federal budget. The tax rates would adjust up or down as the need evolves. Each state should bear the weight of their citizen’s wants and needs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Planned Parenthood. Then the individual states would tax their citizens accordingly. I think you’ll see a drastic change in attitude from the people of different states when they have to pay and not have the Federal government foot the bills.

b. Evaluate the war in Afghanistan and the situation in Iran. What is our goal in each place, in your view?

As a combat Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran, I understand more than most for the need to win over the people. The Afghanistan people don’t want us there and we have no interests there other than to help them. I would suggest pulling out our people before anymore die needlessly from a people that hate us and our way of life. After we pull out we should refrain from giving any aid to the Afghanistan people. If they hate us, then hate our money too.

As for Iran: We have no goal other than to stop their proliferation of nuclear arms. Everyone from Obama to many Republican Presidential candidates has said they will bomb Iran if they persist in building a nuclear bomb. However, I would think that Israel would attack them first and we should be ready to back Israel up with whatever they need.

c. Would you support repeal of the Affordable Care Act? What reforms would you make to the health care system?

Yes, I would repeal the Affordable Care Act. Government needs to get out of the business of business and get on with governing. There are enough regulations already on the books. Enforce those rules before making anymore laws.

7. What is your position on capital punishment?

I think there is a lot to be said about making someone sit in a little cell for the rest of their life after committing a capital crime. However it has become a system where prisoners enjoy a better way of life then most Americans. They don’t pay for Healthcare, housing, clothing or food like the rest of us. I don’t think “We the People” should have to bear the costs of medical expenses, housing, clothing and feeding of these prisoners convicted of capital crimes. I am for capital punishment for the aforementioned reasons and because it also serves as a deterrent.

8. What is your position on Amendment One?

Amendment 1 of the North Carolina Same-Sex Marriage Act should be passed and our Constitution changed. You are born a male or a female and everything after that is a learned experience. There is absolutely no evidence to the contrary. Everyone develops a sexual fantasy. Homosexuals choose to turn their same sex fantasy into a sexual perverted “life style”. This is done for acceptance and approval to promote that lifestyle. I don’t care what anybody does behind closed doors, but I don’t think my children and anyone else should have to be subjected to anyone’s sexual preference/fantasy/perversion.

9. Do you support women’s reproductive rights, including the “right to choose” as set out by the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade? Do you support the recently passed state requirements on ultrasounds and waiting periods for women seeking an abortion? Do you support attempts to eliminate funds for Planned Parenthood?

I would hope that a woman’s right to choose would start by abstaining from getting pregnant in the first place. Roe v. Wade is a law from the Supreme Court and not from the Congress as per the Constitution. Some people view it as a free pass to be irresponsible. look at the 300,000 abortions performed by Planned Parenthood and now add those abortions performed by other than planned parenthood. If a woman decides to abort and their state allows it, I don’t see any reason for waiting periods.

I think the U.S. Should get out of the abortion business, stop funding Planned Parenthood and leave the funding to private donors and the states that want to opt in. Planned Parenthood is a giant non-profit organization providing reproductive health and maternal and child health services. With a total budget of $1 billion (Yes, That is a “B”), that conducts roughly 300,000 abortions each year. They served over 3 million people in and out of the U.S. with paid lobbyists always lobbying for pro-choice legislation it seems to me that they don’t need the funding that most Americans don’t support anyway.

10. What changes, if any, do you support in federal entitlement programs (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans programs, etc.)

Whatever veteran programs are out there it isn’t enough for what our veterans have sacrificed or were willing to sacrifice for their country. These services should come from that balanced Federal budget. I would suggest the merging of the Veterans Administration with the military budget utilizing military doctors and hospitals for any medical problems.

Medicaid, Medicare and abortions should be state issues. As for Social Security: It was suppose to be a voluntary pay-in when it started now it’s an out of control monster that our members of Congress have destroyed by borrowing its funds to pay for other programs. Because it was the Governments negligence in handling these funds I would suggest that the government continue to fund it temporarily while the baby boomers group size that is shrinking and on a down turn. I would propose legislation that would have your retirement funds going directly to your own interest bearing account that you can’t access until you are 62 or 65 instead of paying the government your money. In time you’ll phase out the Social Security Administration.

11. Do you approve of efforts by the Bush and Obama administrations to bailout major banks? How about the Obama administration’s bailout of U.S. automakers?

I don’t agree with any bailouts. The money given to the banks proved to be a means to make the wealthy very wealthy for negative behavior and being irresponsible at the tax payers’ expense. The auto industry bailout seemed to be more of a political payoff to the unions by Obama. The government should have let them fail and let the private sector handle it. I’m sure there are plenty of people who would have loved to own GM or some banks that failed.

12. Both parties have been criticized for overreaching during the redistricting process. Would you support an independent commission drawing the lines in the future?

With 24 different Counties in my District I would support any idea that would simplify the process and inform voters of what districts they are in.